L.A. Pot Store Crackdown Gears Up

The draconian reductions in legally operating medical marijuana shops contained in the new L.A. ordinance whose history and background is explained in my May Reason magazine cover story appears to be going into effect this week. From the L.A. Weekly:

Los Angeles city officials were preparing this to start mailing notices to medical marijuana dispensaries warning that they have until June 7 to shut down under the city's new pot shop law, according to the City Attorney's office.

The letters will start going out Tuesday to more than 400 marijuana retailers in the city that are alleged to be in violation of the law, which prohibits the outlets from being within 1,000 feet of schools, churches, parks and other "sensitive use" sites. The ordinance, signed Friday by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, would put all but 137 pot shops out of business.

If the shops don't comply, "we could pursue crim or civil charges," City Attorney's spokesman Frank Meteljian told the Weekly.

Look for more on this later in the week right here at Reason Online.